The Minister of Electricity in the transitional government says plans to have a 24-hour supply in Juba by December have been disrupted by the conflict.

Dr Dhieu Mathok Diing says foreign companies had pledged to provide money for plan, but they fled the country when violence erupted in Juba in July.

Dr Dhieu says the plan was to have a solar power supply.

He told Eye Radio that there were four international companies, which he didn’t name- that had summitted their proposals for the electricity projects.

“As you know, the economy is connected with the security, and I want to show one example as the minister of electricity – it is that since I came to the ministry I was having aspiring projects and I was working that at least by December Juba town will have available 24 hour power supply,” Mr Dhieu said.

“I had got offers from many people; from companies; they were happy to continue with us but when the fighting erupted in 8th July, those companies have run. When I returned to the office I was receiving notification of their evacuation,” he said.

Dr. Mathok is leading a South Sudanese delegation attending an international conference on renewal energy in India.
He says the four-day conference, which brings together more than 1,000 companies worldwide, will focus on solar power.